FOR SO LONG, journalism was heavily dominated by the men; while the women seemed to have greater facility for language and discipline for detail, the men proved overly protective of what they considered a man’s turf.

The drawing of such artificial gender lines also tended to affect the way stories were covered. Stories on women were often drawn along specific stereotypes, either as helpless victims in need of heroic males, or as objects of pleasure and entertainment.

Since it was founded 25 years ago, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has sought to break these stereotypes. Long before Women’s Desks were created in the police force, the PCIJ already had its own Women’s Desk, where gender issues were fleshed out and given context. This way, women and children were not presented as perpetual victims in need of a knight in armor.

This is because the PCIJ believes that men and women are not just to be viewed as separate genders, but as people with their own vulnerabilities, potentials, and their own roles to play in society.

Today’s Sulyap was edited and produced by PCIJ’s Multimedia Producer Julius Mariveles.